


Peeves the Poltergeist and the Initiation of First Years

by mikaylaluv



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 15:44:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8759038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikaylaluv/pseuds/mikaylaluv
Summary: They called it ‘The Initiation’. Professors knew about it and warned him to not make the First Years scared for their lives. They attempted to put an end to it, only to get protests from the older students.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the fun project I did for my Humanities class that I just had to share on here because 1. Some of my classmates might want to read it, and 2. I wanted to share it. 
> 
> As always, everything familiar belongs to J. K. Rowling. I only play in her world <3

They called it ‘The Initiation’. Professors knew about it and warned him to not make the First Years scared for their lives. They attempted to put an end to it, only to get protests from the older students. As the First Years trekked through the Great Hall, they were sorted with ease. Professors letting out baited breaths. The Ravenclaws warned them of him. The Slytherins kept silent. The Gryffindors asked if they liked to be jump-scared. The Hufflepuffs shared war stories. As first years departed from the Great Hall, they were skittish to say the least. Almost all of them have not seen a poltergeist before, only heard stories of haunted buildings and the evils that come from it. The thought of one putzing around Hogwarts had many of them listen closely and hesitate before turning corners a good solid week before anything actually happened.

Peeves loved pranking First Years. They were the easiest ones to fool, because all the other years have been pranked. They know his antics. Peeves found it boring to not get a reaction out of them. Most of the students would roll their eyes and continue or check everything they had on them when they heard his cackling. Peeves collected books upon books of medieval pranks and choose the best ones for the victims -- ahem – First Years.

“HeeHeeHee! Ickle Firsty Years at Hoggywarts!” Peeves proclaimed, rubbing his hands together tauntingly. The poltergeist floated around the Great Hall; making eye contact with some of the new students, smirking at others. One thing was for sure, that keeping them on their toes made the execution of the pranks much more delightful. Now, Peeves knew that he needed to be careful with choosing his victims. Slytherins were a lot rougher to prank than a Hufflepuff. Mostly because the Bloody Baron being on his arse most of the time. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Peeves was having fun. He didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Everyone always expected the worst out of him when it came to his pranks. A little overdramatic in his opinion.

In a way, Peeves was proud of all that he has done. The Weasley twins for example (Freddie and Georgie as he likes to call them), Peeves takes full credit in inspiring them to pull jokes on people -- even though they came in to Hogwarts sniffing for trouble. Besides the Bloody Baron, Peeves preferred Fred and George. They understood him. The intense desire to pull pranks on people. Didn’t hurt, but enough to get a laugh out of people. Fred and George had a following at the school amongst the older students. Fred and George wouldn’t dare prank the First Years. Peeves would.

 

\---

 

The beetle in the apple was a favorite. It was a fake beetle, an illusion of sorts. Peeves would ask the house elves to carve out the apple. A little hesitation, eye the Poltergeist before doing it. Did Peeves ask you do this? Even though the answer was obvious. Besides Zonko’s Joke Shop, students snuck food from the kitchens. The tickling of the pear to get into the kitchens was something that got around the school by week two. He asked for eight apples, all hallowed out. Merry, a house elf who has been working at Hogwarts for decades squeaked loudly at him “Merry will not give Peeves hallowed out apples! Merry is done being blamed for Peeve’s wrong doing!” Then Ranger, who rather enjoyed Peeves, scuttled over to the large crate of apples and started picking them up and scooping out the middles, “Ranger will get Peeves apples!” Merry glared over at the foolish House Elf, “Ranger, no!” Ranger grinned over at her, “Ranger yes.” Peeves has always been grateful for Ranger.

Ranger managed to convince Merry that the cores could be used for cider and she grumbled but agreed since Ranger has already done it and Merry didn’t like food going to waste.

Peeves placed one beetle that some older students got him from Zonkos inside each apple, closed them. The following morning, he floated in, invisible, and placed them near the pile stacked up for those who are breakfast. The students gather around the trays so they wouldn’t have to move far. He waited until it got just crowded enough before unleashing the apples. It started with a nudge. Then they started rocking back and forth. The first one toppled over onto the table. One student from each cluster leaned forward. Then they started rolling. Some students gasped. Others reached for the apples. First student. Second. Third. The tops were removed and then the beetles popped out, eliciting screams from the young students. Many of them scrambled up and away from the beetle, others tried whacking at them with their plates. When a second year caught the beetle and it went still, he instantly started looking around, “PEEVES!” he called out.

Peeves appeared and started cackling. Some of the students nervously laughed, other cackled, carrying on the fun. Two students slumped against the benches, catching their breaths. The other beetles finally stilled. “Watch your breakfast! It might crawl away!” Peeves flew around the Great Hall, acting as though he was riding a tricycle, holding his arms out in front of him and scrunching up his legs. He took a turn and zoomed down the hallway, “Beetles! Beetles everywhere! Call the buggy remover!” A scowling Filch all but stomped into the Great Hall, Mrs. Norris trailing behind him.

 

\---

 

Peeves always liked playing with the armor in the hallways. Sir. Cadogan clanked around in his portrait. Baron wore his around Halloween. Peeves, dressed his purple shirt, blue trousers, orange bow and hat, loved to play dress up with the armor. Being the courteous poltergeist he was, Peeves made sure that there were no other occupants of the armor before slipping inside of one and waited. Passing student? Vibrations. The hollowness of the armor created a sound that bounced off the walls, echoing throughout the hallway. That caused a couple more students to hesitate before turning down that particular corridor. Wait. Classes were starting. Perfect time. A trio of first years were scrambling about, looking for the right turn and Peeves was ready. One. Two. Closer. Closer.

He made the armor jump from it’s post, slamming the metal boots against the stone. “Not in class I see?!” He moved one arm up. “Why are little students LATE FOR CLASS?” He was louder than anticipated. But never mind that because the look on their faces. Shivering a bit as one of them went pale. “Ickle first years can’t find their way around the topsy-turvy Hogwarts!” One member of the trip skirted past Peeves, bolting to the end. Peeves made the armor rise, “First years don’t want to play?” He lifted the face cover over and cackled, “FIRST YEARS NOT IN CLASS.”

“Peeves!” The sharp tone of Professor McGonagall shot through the laugher. Peeves closed his mouth and looked over before the armor dropped straight through them. “Carry on to class McAdams, Kimball. Second hall down.” The kid on the right, McAdams, nudged the other one “Scared?” he said before taking off. Kimball running after him, “I’m not scared.” McAdams’s laughter bounced off the walls. “Clean this up!” McGonagall said sternly. Peeves watched her. A staring contest. Who would blink first. Peeves shot down a hallway. McGonagall’s voice chasing after him and Peeves just cackled again.

 

\---

 

When students’ items go missing, it was a surprise that no one suspected Peeves, which made it all the more brilliant. “Oh, my hand mirror went missing.” “Five quills disappeared out of my trunk, I made sure they were there! I bought a holder you see.” “Has anyone seen a First-Year History of Magic text book lying about?”

Peeves had his stash lying in a section of loose bricks. It wasn’t that difficult really. Down an abandoned corridor. He could have used armor but that would have made noise. Peeves could stick his hand into the wall and place the item into the crevice and wait. Sometimes a couple days. A week, a month? Text books he gave back rather quickly, but the others he waited. “Maybe it was Nargles. They are pesky little things that like to take stuff. I know they are around here.” Loony Lovegood. A new first year always talking of strange creatures that Peeves didn’t know about. He stole her shoes, pins, a couple shirts. Her answer was always the most assuring tone. Nargles. What’s a Nargle? Peeves didn’t know, nor did he care to know.

When Peeves finally gave back the stuff, there were a few ways to do it. One was simply dropping the item onto the table during dinner. Loudly. Invisibility had it’s perks after all. Students jumped this way and that. When quills landed on students’ heads they flailed about, as though wackspurts were buzzing around their head. He picked that one up with Loony was rambling about. With the more delicate items, Peeves would lean them up against places and have the students stumble upon them. Like the hand mirror. When Aarons found the hand mirror leaning up against the window, she sighed of relief. Peeves watching closely. An invisible hand on the handle and when she reached for it, he lifted it up. Her hand grasped the air and she watched stunned. “Peeves if this..” she started before grabbing for it again. Peeves let out a howling laugh and he lifted it up even higher, crossing his legs as he hovered. “Jump firsty, jump!” he laughed and the young girl jumped her hand reaching up for the silver hand mirror.

A couple of older students stood by, watching and stifling their laughter.

“Well don’t just stand there!” Aarons snapped. “Do something about it!” Her high-pitched voice making an attempt to sound serious.

“It’s initiation.” The Hufflepuff replied.

“Well it’s stupid!” Aarons replied and started jumping again.

“Give it back Peeves!” “Say ‘please’!” Peeves held it up, looking down at her. “Please give it back!” Aarons huffed.

“Nicer!” Peeves taunted.

Aarons stomped jumped. “Please give me back my hand mirror Peeves.” Her voice was slow.

Peeves sunk down and held it out, pulling it away when he reached before letting go, knowing she could catch it, and she did.

 

\---

 

Peeves’s invisibility came in handy when it came to classroom pranks. Oh how Peeves loved sneaking into classrooms. The professor was just asking for him to come in when their door was open. Sometimes he would push the desks against the walls and stack the chairs on top of them. Others he would get in, block the door with the desks and chairs. He left the mess for the professors and students to figure out.

Today he did just that with a couple of classrooms and melted himself against the wall, going invisible to watch a professor teach. Slowly and gradually, he slithered like a snake through the desks, some students shivering at the cold air. Some looking down to see if there was a snake. Others shrugged it off. But then.

“ _Oh!_ ” A chair moved, sending the student to grab onto their desk.

“Bollocks!” Another, who moved to grab something, was jolted backwards.

Boom. “ **Ooooow.** ” Peeved pulled a chair right from under the student as they went to sit down. Snickers started to rise.

“Is there a problem?” Professor Flitwick asked.

“The chairs are moving!” a student replied.

“Chairs don’t move on their own…is anyone here using a charm. Come on, speak up now!” he squeaked.

Peeves stilled. The students looked around. He started moving again. Papers moving away as if a breeze came through the window. Some students jumped up and back.

“Now, now students. It’s okay. Don’t worry.” Professor Flitwick did a quick look through of the room before his own desk shifted. He flailed, putting his hands down on it, as though his small stature could stop it. “Oh! Goodness!” He cried out. Right as Peeves went to go torture the students, Flitwick saw it. A glitch to say the least. “Peeves!” he snapped. “Stop it!” he cried. Peeves whooped a couple students groaned, former victims. “Leave!” Flitwick demanded, “You are not to enter classrooms!” What good would that do? Peeves did it anyways.

 

\---

 

“You must gain some control over him, Baron. Disrupting classrooms, scaring students. He’s going to kill someone one of these days!” McGonagall was speaking to the Slytherin House Ghost, Bloody Baron. The only one who seemed to have any control over the poltergeist. “What do you expect me to say? Leave? I think Hogwarts is still recovering but the Great Peeves Explosion. He’s meant to make people laugh. But he won’t sit long enough to learn the right and wrong. According to him, he can’t be touched.” McGonagall sighed, frustrated.

 

\---

 

By the end of the year, most professor dreaded it. They knew it was coming. They tried to foil it. It happened right after final exams, the night before the students went home for the summer. Peeves used to just pull little pranks but ever since _Fred and George_ joined his arsenal. The professors didn’t know what to expect. They collected the items. They stored them away for months. Fred and George recruited brave students. No longer was Peeves out for First Years but he was out for the school. A final Farewell to the Seventh Years and just another memorable event to talk about with the rest.

The stage was set. Dinner. Some students carried around their bags so the ones with the arsenal were easily concealed.

_Boom_.

Students looked around.

_Hiss_.

Knives and forks stilled.

_Wizzzzz_.

A little tiny firework twirled the air.

_Crash. Boom_!

“Oh no.”

The doors flew open and Peeves zoomed around the hall, sprinkling what looked to be glitter – turns out it was once it landed on the floor-. The tables were charmed to have it kept out of the food. Another firework. The Professors leaned back, putting his heads in hands and shaking them. As the students started to release the fun, some were releasing fake beetles and snakes and what have you causing shrieks.

If it were a movie, lively music would be playing. Peeves dropped a couple more glitter bombs on the students and watched as they all continued to release arsenal. It was delightful and looked more like a party than a solemn event. The Baron looked at Peeves and started to drag him out. Once away from the mess, Peeves tilted from side to side, holding onto his feet. “Fun!” he proclaimed and tries to get back inside. “You can’t do anything, year’s over!” Peeves jumped in the air and zoomed back into the Great Hall. He took a lap, “UNTIL NEXT YEAR!” he cackles. Fireworks zoomed through the air, a couple students went around picking up the charmed bugs and throwing them at people. The air was full of joy and laughter, everything Peeves wanted. He knew he would get in trouble after the students left, but it was worth it.


End file.
